Sasha Sagan

Last updated

Sasha Sagan
Born
Alma mater New York University
Occupation(s)Author, screenwriter, producer, podcaster
Notable workFor Small Creatures Such as We
Spouse
Jonathan Noel
(m. 2013)
Children2
Parents

Alexandra "Sasha" Sagan is an American author, television producer, filmmaker, and podcaster.

Contents

Early life and education

Sagan is the daughter of the writer Ann Druyan and astronomer Carl Sagan.[ citation needed ]

She is a graduate of New York University.[ citation needed ]

Career

Sagan co-wrote the screenplay of the short film Bastard (2010) with Kirsten Dunst. The film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. [1]

She played the role of Carl Sagan's mother in Cosmos: Possible Worlds in 2020. [2] [3]

She has written for New York magazine. [4]

Book

Sagan's book For Small Creatures Such as We was published in 2019. [5]

Personal life

Sagan lives in Boston with her husband, Jonathan Noel, and their daughter and son. They were married in Ithaca, New York in September 2013. [6]

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Ann Druyan is an American documentary producer and director specializing in the communication of science. She co-wrote the 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos, hosted by Carl Sagan, whom she married in 1981. She is the creator, producer, and writer of the 2014 sequel, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and its sequel series, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, as well as the book of the same name. She directed episodes of both series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Sagan</span> American astrophysicist, cosmologist and author (1934–1996)

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<i>Cosmos: A Personal Voyage</i> 1980 science documentary series

Cosmos: A Personal Voyage is a thirteen-part, 1980–81 television series written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, with Sagan as presenter. It was executive-produced by Adrian Malone, produced by David Kennard, Geoffrey Haines-Stiles, and Gregory Andorfer, and directed by the producers, David Oyster, Richard Wells, Tom Weidlinger, and others. It covers a wide range of scientific subjects, including the origin of life and a perspective of our place in the universe. Owing to its bestselling companion book and soundtrack album using the title, Cosmos, the series is widely known by this title, with the subtitle omitted from home video packaging. The subtitle began to be used more frequently in the 2010s to differentiate it from the sequel series that followed.

<i>Contact</i> (1997 American film) 1997 film by Robert Zemeckis

Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Carl Sagan. Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film. It stars Jodie Foster as Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Arroway, a SETI scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. It also stars Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt, William Fichtner, John Hurt, Angela Bassett, Rob Lowe, Jake Busey, and David Morse. It features the Very Large Array in New Mexico, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the Mir space station, and the Space Coast surrounding Cape Canaveral.

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<i>Cosmos</i> (Sagan book) 1980 book by Carl Sagan

Cosmos is a popular science book written by astronomer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan. It was published in 1980 as a companion piece to the PBS mini-series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage with which it was co-developed and intended to complement. Each of the book's 13 illustrated chapters corresponds to one of the 13 episodes of the television series. Just a few of the ideas explored in Cosmos include the history and mutual development of science and civilization, the nature of the Universe, human and robotic space exploration, the inner workings of the cell and the DNA that controls it, and the dangers and future implications of nuclear war. One of Sagan's main purposes for both the book and the television series was to explain complex scientific ideas in a way that anyone interested in learning can understand. Sagan also believed the television was one of the greatest teaching tools ever invented, so he wished to capitalize on his chance to educate the world. Spurred in part by the popularity of the TV series, Cosmos spent 50 weeks on the Publishers Weekly best-sellers list and 70 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list to become the best-selling science book ever published at the time. In 1981, it received the Hugo Award for Best Non-Fiction Book. The unprecedented success of Cosmos ushered in a dramatic increase in visibility for science-themed literature. The success of the book also served to jumpstart Sagan's literary career. The sequel to Cosmos is Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space (1994).

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<i>Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey</i> 2014 American science documentary television series presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is a 2014 American science documentary television series. The show is a follow-up to the 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which was presented by Carl Sagan on the Public Broadcasting Service and is considered a milestone for scientific documentaries. This series was developed to bring back the foundation of science to network television at the height of other scientific-based television series and films. The show is presented by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who, as a young high school student, was inspired by Sagan. Among the executive producers are Seth MacFarlane, whose financial investment was instrumental in bringing the show to broadcast television, and Ann Druyan, a co-author and co-creator of the original television series and Sagan's wife. The show is produced by Brannon Braga, and Alan Silvestri composed the score.

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<i>Cosmos: Possible Worlds</i> 2020 American science documentary television series

Cosmos: Possible Worlds is a 2020 American science documentary television series that premiered on March 9, 2020, on National Geographic. The series is a follow-up to the 2014 television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, which followed the original Cosmos: A Personal Voyage series presented by Carl Sagan on PBS in 1980. The series is presented by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, written, directed, and executive-produced by Ann Druyan and Brannon Braga, with other executive producers being Seth MacFarlane and Jason Clark.

References

  1. Kay, Jeremy (March 18, 2010). "Kirsten Dunst's Bastard among Tribeca short films roster". screendaily.com. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  2. Palmer, Rob (March 31, 2020). "Exploring 'Possible Worlds' With Ann Druyan". Skeptical Inquirer . CFI. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  3. Hersko, Tyler (November 7, 2019). "'Cosmos: Possible Worlds' to Premiere on National Geographic in 2020 — Exclusive". IndieWire . Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  4. "Sasha Sagan". New York Magazine. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  5. "Thirty books to help us understand the world in 2020". The Guardian. October 18, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  6. "Sasha Sagan and Jonathan Noel". The New York Times. September 29, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2020.